Posted: March 12, 2007

Athletics: Injury Forces Ritzenhein Out Of U.S. 8-K Championship

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com A foot injury has forced Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein to withdraw from the U.S. 8-K Championship set for Saturday in New York City, race organizers said today. "While we are crushed to lose Dathan from our 8-K field, we support his decision to withdraw," said Mary Wittenberg, President and CEO of the New York Road Runners, which is hosting the event. In a statement issued today, Wittenberg added: "Clearly the right thing to do is to rest a minor injury today before it becomes major so that he is back on the field as soon as possible in this year when the stakes are so high. I expect great things from Dathan this year, and the fans in New York will be glad to know we expect him back here again before the Olympic Marathon Trials on November 3." Ritzenhein, 24, of Boulder, Colo., injured his left foot while training recently in Tallahassee, Fla. He then flew to Portland, Ore., late last week for a more detailed diagnosis and X-rays, after which the decision was made to withdraw him from the race. Brad Hudson, who coaches Ritzenhein, said in a statement: "Dathan sustained a minor foot injury while running on the grass last weekend in Tallahassee. "The MRI showed that there was no stress fracture, but we made the difficult decision to pull him out of the USA 8-K Championships as a precautionary measure. He'll be back 100% as he gears up for a track season this spring." The 8-K will be held in Manhattan's Central Park utilizing the same loop which comprises the heart of the U.S. Olympic Trials - Men's Marathon course. The leading entrants are Jorge Torres, the defending champion, and Olympians Abdi Abdirahman and Anthony Famiglietti. The New York Road Runners have put up a $35,000 prize money purse (the winner will receive $10,000) plus a $25,000 bonus for breaking Alberto Salazar's national record of 22:04 set in 1981.